I didn’t, until recently, even know that Peeps were even available in a sugar-free form. Jamie, where have you been?!
Of course, I also have a tendency to park in front of my own house and then wonder who’s blocking my mailbox. GET OFF OF MY LAWN, KIDS! Oh… Sorry, Grandma. You looked different…
That said, I love the taste and texture of Sugar-Free Peeps. Love love love. While the kids think they’re a little stale out of the package, I say there’s no shame in that game. Most of us like the slightly-chewy texture of a less-fresh Peep. Am I right? I know in the past, I’ve even left them out overnight to allow them to solidify slightly.
But into every sunny day, a little rain has to fall. Or intestinal discomfort, as it were…
Here it comes. Are you ready for it? Maltitol. The label says that 3 Peeps is a single serving, but I’m so sensitive to maltitol that one serving was too much. Hours later, I was still pretty miserable from a single serving. Despite that, I almost went for round two, and then came to my damned senses, squirted down the rest with Windex and tossed them in the trash to save my colon.
My advice: If you really want Peeps, just allow for the carbohydrates from the sugary ones, stop at one, and save your stomach the woes.
Or, if you’re not averse to maltitol and can keep your servings in check, try the Sugar-Free Peeps dipped in chocolate. You won’t regret limiting the sweets–just to be safe.
The chocolate-dipped Peeps… Seriously. Just seriously…
Happy Valentine’s Day and Early Easter (there are Peeps for every occasion).
Sugar-Free Peeps
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥
Good: Absolutely delicious
Bad: Maltitol made my rectum nearly explode. A great party trick, nonetheless, if you’re into those kinds of parties.
Price: $2.99 per package (roughly)
Found at: Online and at these locations
Website: Peeps
Disclosure: Just Born has provided some Peeps I wasn’t able to review, so I bought my own for this review. This has not affected my review of the items.
These are a non-food. Sugar free or not…NO ONE should eat these EVER!! cancer causing, artificial in every way and have absolutely NO nutritional value what so ever. You have officially lost me as a fan. Educate yourself on what whole foods are and stand true to the name of your blog.
Hi, Bethany! I think my review was pretty phenomenal, but I agree that Peeps are not for everyday consumption.
Jamie, you’ve never once claimed to be a ‘whole foods’ blogger. You routinely incorporate foods that are pre-made or canned (Atkins meals, olives, protein bars, etc.). I about peed myself reading this review and I think it’s dead on. If Bethany is going to get herself all in a bundle because you aren’t what you’ve never claimed to be…..let her! We like you lots ^_^
I think it could be disappointing to a reader that the first post I publish in over a week is for Peeps, but I have reviews to write! I have more coming, too, for companies like Laura’s Lean Ground Beef, and for Seabuck Wonders as well. Still, I make no apologies for the occasional Peeps homage as needed. I reviewed honestly, so… No one claimed they were on the food pyramid.
Nah, I thought it was a pretty phenomenal review, too. 🙂 When I clicked on the email, I thought “making a peep” meant, “Hi all, still alive here!” Was totally entertained that it was about sugar free Peeps, LOL! I don’t seem to have trouble with maltitol, but unless I see these on 50%+ clearance in a store, I probably will pass, too. Thanks for putting some funny into my morning! 🙂
Jamie,
i stumbled upon this post and i too was mislead abt your intentions as a blogger. i saw posts regarding healthy choices and low-carb things.
Most notably your own About Page:
“So why food?… I want anyone–everyone who looks at your plate of freshly prepared food–at my plate of amazing, hearty, colorful food– to look at you and at me with a look of disbelief and say, “That’s gluten-free? Sugar-free? Really?” followed by, “And that’s healthy?” and, “You lose weight eating that? You can have that?” And I want you to smile and say YES!”
Quickly followed by finding a post on February 8, 2013 titled “Superior health made simple”. One of your first few sentences reads, “We’re all working towards better health in our own way…”
Is there room for a low-caloric frolic once in a while?
I smile and say “YES!”
But sadly i agree that Peeps, of any kind, aren’t a good choice.
So they are paying you to say the sugar free ones are better for you or that as long as you don’t mind eating fake ingredients that have no value to your body and cause your body unpleasant side effects…eat up. Your blog is The Lighter Side…lighter side of what exactly? Lighter side of cancer? Lighter side of obesity? Lighter side of ADHD? Lighter side of Diabetes? There isn’t a single REAL ingredient in these. Don’t you feel a responsibility to your readers to provide them with healthy alternatives? This is definitely not one of them. You don’t have to be a whole foods guru to see the poison in the package. I find it very sad that these companies and you as a “health food” blogger find in necessary to continue to consume and then push the fake food as an alternative to the fake food that contains sugar. Your opportunity to educate and pass a long healthy information was lost in this blog. I’m planting the seed of eat better than this and use your platform as a blogger to do some good for the health of people. Sorry I misunderstood your title.
They didn’t pay me to say anything at all. In fact, I paid to review the products I did–and, if you noticed, I wasn’t that adoring of the item… In terms of being paid, my site brings in advertising through an ad server. I turn more money away than I make these days… Go figure…
Jamie (who, just this morning, turned down $125 this morning for sharing someone else’s link…)
Bethany – I truly understand your need to be right and “instructional”. But you, my dear, are coming across as a troll. You never ever visit a new site and immediately tear into the “hostess” of a blog. It makes you look childish and frankly mean. You have no idea how selfless that Jamie is and how much she truly cares about her fans, She goes of her way to present the newest information on low carb eating, amazing recipes (that even my picky husband actually likes) and then throws in a few funny things as well as some reviews of products.
I have to wonder if you eat perfectly 24hrs a day, 365 days a year, because I’m fairly certain no one does and if you do, bully to you. It does not mean you are better than anyone else, it just means that you are wired to be a perfectionist. This is not all-in-all a bad thing unless you use your perfectionism to compare yourself to others, compare others to others and then treat people badly because they are different than you. Oh, and some of us don’t think it’s morally wrong or devastating to eat a peep or two.
Jamie in no way condoned eating 5 packs of peeps. But come on, people are going to eat them and they ‘re going to eat the sugar free and SUGAR filled peeps. If you think they aren’t you’re aren’t being realistic and if you judge them to be “wrong”, then you are being judge and jury on their character. This is simply wrong. Why not just go on your happy, perfect way and go somewhere where they like to tear others up for eating a peep. It’s really not lady-like and it’s not welcome by any of Jamie’s actual fans and friends.
Here here Yvonne…this whole bethany thread is pretty suspicious to me. I think this is a set up against Jamie. Its too bizarre and vicious to be anything else. Wonder who or what is behind it. Time for you to LEAVE bethany. Go take your nap. When someone acts like a spoiled child they can’t be taken seriously.
Bravo Yvonne M……I could not have said it better myself 🙂
Bethany,shame on you for acting like a two year old. You can make a suggestion but you sound terribly damning of anyone who strays occasionally! If you admit it you are not perfect as none of us – I have diabetes but sometimes I cheat as I am sure that you also do!.
P.S. If you like them slightly stale try them frozen! Yum, nice way to cheat a bit.
Bethany, please go away. This blog is for humans.
Bethany wow relax….she wrote a review. Last I checked a REVIEW is a PERSONAL OPINION. She didn’t write hey all my readers go out and buy peeps. If you don’t want to eat them DON’T no one is making you. A blog is a blog. U r not reading the medical encyclopedia here. I think U NEED A PEEP!!! Maybe it will bring a smile to ur face and friggen make u a little less hostile LMAO. And Jamie! U are a very patient person bc if this were my blog I don’t know what I would have told Bethany!! Love your reviews and your recipies!!! Thank you for all your ideas and inspiration!
Maybe I’m reading into it, but I’m pretty sure her review says ALL THAT. Except a lot nicer.
Now if they would just make a kosher sugar free peep. Or one made out of beef or fish gelatin would work too.
Seriously glad I did not have coffee in my mouth for this one. … “made my rectum nearly explode”.. hahahaha I have never found the sugar free ones. Maybe it’s a good thing. I think Kassie gets one package of the regular ones and makes them last. We are VERY weird like that. Making a piece of regular candy last a LONG time.
With all the sugar-free sweetening options, why do they have to use maltilol? Thanks for your great posts, Jamie! I like your style!
I am so not a fan of maltitol. All I can figure is that it’s more shelf-stable, more easy to use across applications, and not enough people complained about erupting, exploding colons to bother with changes.
I bet its cheaper for companies to use maltitol versus other agents. They would have to charge more for a different sweetener than their research shows consumers are willing to pay so no point. Maltitol is nasty stuff and in my case my sensitivity developed with each exposure to the point now that i have to avoid it like the plague. did it work like this for anyone else? Be careful if you think you can tolerate Maltitol. May not have reached the tipping point yet! And thanks for ALL your reviews Jamie! What in the world would you review if limited to like, broccoli and cauliflower? Dont know what the first commenter was talking about…
Oh my gosh I LOVE them and do not have any trouble with maltitol. I just discovered them and also found them in SF pink heart shape form for Valentine’s Day. I think it is great to be able to enjoy something I used to eat in SF form every once in a while in moderation. And they were BOGO when I bought them,so…double score for me !
They don’t have them locally here, so I had to order them online (the Peeps company kept sending sugar-filled Peeps by mistake). I wouldn’t buy these again, but for people who can handle the maltitol and need the very occasional affirmation of a sugar-free lifestyle, why not?
This is so funny! I thought I was seeing things, sugar-free Peeps. As a former candy-aholic, just the thought of frozen or stale Peeps still makes me drool. Peeps are sugar. Made of sugar, dipped in sugar. I am still in disbelief that such a quantity of sugar could be substituted, and am so curious, I just may risk an exploding rectum….I just might.]]Thank you for sharing:)
Della
I loved this post! Hysterical! I have the same reaction to malitol that you do but that is not going to stop me from trying these if I ever find them.
This is one of your funniest reviews ever! Keep up the good work,
I’m properly scared off from these. I stay away from manitol – it makes me jet propelled, and not in a good way.
Jamie, I absolutely love your style, I mean come on we all need to try a sugar free treat every now and again, but I agree the maltitol is horrible on my digestion, and it always makes me gain a few pounds, feels like it kicks me out of ketosis…I make my own bittersweet chocolate, and thats the only thing that keeps me sane…I have missed your posts this week, hope your having a super fab day!!! Thanks for all your recipes, reviews and ideas. 🙂
I have tried the sugar free peeps….ok if stale. I don’t like the fresh ones. I have found that if I eat one I lower my coffee consumtion by one cup that day.
I can’t do malitol either. After reading your review and then realizing they were provided to you for reviewing, and you were honest about them, I have even more respect for you as a food blogger.
I love reading your blog, I always laugh and I actually look forward to reading your post, which is rare for me in the food blogging world. 🙂
Am still laughing at your wording, I can’t tell you enough how much I love your posts, recipes, way you write and, let me be honest: YOU!! You are truly an inspiration 🙂 As an English woman living in the Netherlands I have NO idea what a regular peep is nor the SF one but loved your review. x
I’m eating my last SF Peep in the house right now. Sigh. Long live the SF Peep (for those that can tolerate them that is). :~D
Hello Jamie, you are, ahem, my kind of PEEPS! Well, isn’t that the street dialect or slang for telling someone they are their kind of people or person, or what the heck ever?! I read the first reply and I gotta tell you, well no I won’t tell you. Anywho…..most of us that have chosen to live and be dedicated to certain lifestyles and to stick to the dietary changes but none of us are perfect. I’ll be the first to say that,YES, I sometimes like to taste something different or from time to time during a holiday here or there I like to sample a piece of sugar free candy or other goods. I usually take a serving and share the rest just to get rid of it. No, it’s not a whole food especially after I take a bite out of what ever it is, it then becomes a piece of what once was a whole food…LOL
You and I have talked about the effects of sugar alcohols and we know that manufactured things loaded with SA’s are not for everyone but I personally want to thank you for this review. I had researched about a year ago looking for alternatives to the sugar loaded high carb things I once ate during the holiday’s and I came across the sugar free peeps and still had some curiosity about them but thanks to you I can now choose to either attempt to taste or not, but the —“ol” sugar alcohols kill me so I might have to let them pass me by again.
In closing thank you so much for your reviews, I find myself sharing things on facebook and that’s uncommon for me to do but it’s my lifestyle and in a manner of speaking I’m educating as well as sharing the news that a low-carb lifestyle is not a bland, boring one, especially if one is a follower of Your Lighter Side, sooo many recipes to keep things lively! Thank you again just for being you and I absolutely love your sense of humor.
Oh and by the way, remember that the products you review are only whole foods until you take a bite or two….ha ha ha. I couldn’t resist that.
EDITED FOR CLARITY: Most of us that have chosen to live and be dedicated to certain lifestyles tend to permanently stick to those changes but none of us are perfect.
I just thought it was funny and I enjoyed it. Peeps are a big joke in my family (my boys always hated them), and I can’t wait to tell them about these. Will I try them? Possibly. Will it ruin my diet forever? Nahhhhh.
Jamie, you are a freak…but I love ya anyway! LOL Nothing like a good old rectum story to eject me out of my seat, exploding with laughter. 🙂
So, the sugar-free Peeps may be sugar free, but the carbs are way up there with 23 grams which obviously corresponds to the 23g of Sugar Alcohol.
So why would anyone choose maltitol over sugar if you’re still going to wind up eating 23 grams of carbohydrate? Wouldn’t you be better off just eating the sugar version anyway? If you eat them after a very healthy meal, that should do a pretty good job of mitigating the effects of the sugar.
Anyway, great post, girl!
Cheers!
Scott, the idea behind the maltitol is that it’s technically supposed to be subtracted from the overall carb count. But since maltitol spikes my blood sugar, I count all of the carbs.
Ive read some low carb physician experts who state that, as a general rule, consumers should count half the listed sugar alcohol carbs. They are not a freebie. But individual response based on glucometer readings has to be the best approach!
I agree, Frank! I count every carb. I really do. When it comes to xylitol and erythritol, I don’t, but if they caused cravings I would. It’s definitely a YMMV situation.
Eating products or medications that contain maltitol has been linked with excessive internal gas and flatulence in adults and children. This is considered to be one of the more common negative side effects of maltitol. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
According to the Calorie Control Council, maltitol shares the laxative qualities of other sugar alcohol blends. As a result, those who take maltitol can expect the regularity of their bowel movements to change. The levels of maltitol needed daily to cause diarrhea vary depending on the age of the person eating maltitol.
Considering some of the negativity I’ve read on this blog I’m not surprised that so many have responded with unpleasantness. Gas, stomach pain, diarrhea and the like WILL make you ultra sensitive and ill equipped to have an open mind toward individuals who are mindful of their nutritional health.
Jamie, don’t let one idiot get under your skin! She claims your promoting non whole foods. Well your way of eating/living is quite different then hers apparently.she must live in a bubble if she isn’t exposed to cancer causing agents, even if she isn’t eating certain foods, you can develop cancer in different ways! Your blog is great, your recipes are great, and we won’t be missing her around here ; )
Hi there! Thanks for being so understanding. Typically someone who comes in and is upset is about one post out of 1,000 I’ve posted over the years is not a regular reader, or they would know enough about me to know I don’t advocate sweets, save for as an occasional treat. I am a green olives/antipasto kind of girl. I review companies from time to time, but I am always 100% honest in my feedback. I’ve got too much of a guilt complex to fib. Plus I like to be able to sleep at night knowing I did my best.
Thanks for the kind words, everyone! I am not in any way hampered by criticism. I have teenagers.
Jamie, I just have to give you a huge congrats. This is your blog, you control the content & you can post whatever you want. If we don’t like what we see, we don’t have to follow you. i have always been very impressed at how you reply to everyone (this must take HOURS). I am now über impressed at how even when faced with someone irrational & rude, you still maintain the utmost is politeness & professionalism. You continue to impress me in every regard!
You are so sweet for saying what you have Hayley. I am used to criticism. I deal with teens who think orange and crunchy is a food group (and not in the carrot way).
I never did care for peeps, but I sure got a good laugh out of this blog! Now you know what to eat if you need to clean out your colon! As a Type 1 diabetic, I do allow myself treats. I count the carbs, and take enough insulin to cover them! So this Easter may find me eating a chocolate covered marshmallow egg! All of my friends and family know better than to give me sugar free chocolate! Thanks for your sense of humor and honesty. I love the variety of your posts. And I agree with Hayley. You are so polite and professional, not to mention patient! So keep reviewing, even the non whole foods!
Oh, my gosh, Jamie, you just crack me up!!
I’ve never liked peeps, but you almost had me convinced to go try a sugar-free peep until I got to the part about the explosive party trick. I had that same issue with sugar-free milk chocolate from Trader Joe’s. What a HUGE mistake that was that I won’t make again. I thought, TJs sugar-free chocolate? Must be healthy stuff – right? – so like an idiot, I didn’t read the ingredient list. I’m just not a fan of that explosive party trick, especially when I wasn’t even at a party but was at work. Talk about AWKWARD and completely embarrassing.
And, I totally appreciate your honesty and candidness. No one’s perfect about a totally clean and healthy diet (though I do try really hard and know that you do the same) and there’s no point in trying to pretend that we are. Luckily we can all learn from each others mistakes. At least I hope I can learn and not repeat something like your Peep of 2013 Mistake.
I for one am glad you posted this review. Some of us don’t want to feel deprived, even when we are trying to eat healthy and low carb.. so I might have seen these Sugar Free Peeps at Easter and thought I could treat myself had I not read your review.
I’m not sure why people are so hung up on your post.. some of us don’t respond well to hardcore bloggers. I’m a normal every day person who struggles with eating right and I will never be a whole foods addict so I need someone like Jamie who keeps it real.
For the record, I didn’t see your review as being supportive of this product, quite the opposite.
Keep doing what you’re doing Jamie!
Thanks for your support! I have lost well over 80 pounds being imperfect, so it works for me. Am I a Peeps fan? Yes on very rare occasions. A maltitol fan? No.
Hi Jamie,
I can’t believe how rude Bethany is! That being said I think you handled it wonderfully! I also wanted you to know that I appreciate all your recipes and posts and your humor and that you have helped me stay on track! Be glad to loose Bethany as a fan. Some people are just too uptight! ; )
I am so happy to learn that they make sugar free peeps!!! Little indulgences like that are the only way I could stay on a low carb diet. Thank you!
I am just catching up after a few days & of course at peeps caught my eye. Alas, I, too, am severely maltitol intolerant so will not be trying them. We eat organic everything in this house & yes you can make your own marshmallows, but peeps…stale ones…they call me.
I found these right after Easter last year and was so happy after finding out a month before that I was a diabetic and had a sugar free solution to an old favorite! I tried one and thought they were good. Then I realized they had maltitol in them. Unfortunately for me, I don’t just get gas from them. Maltitol makes my blood sugar go on a roller coaster. My dad ended up finishing them off.
I am learning SO MUCH about ingredients and what the ones are that we cannot pronounce! Thanks for this funny review. NO peeps for us!